Where Our Horizons Meet
by regalfangirl
Summary: When a song playing on the ambulance radio saves Regina from dying, she immediately contacts the band, thanking them. What she didn't know was that by sending that thank-you note, she entered the mind of a particular blonde named Emma - and she's been walking around there ever since. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there!**

**This is my first chapter fic, my first chapter story ever, to be exact, so I'm really looking forward to working on this. Reviews are highly appreciated! That's what an author feeds on, after all :) ****I hope you'll like this story of mine! If all goes well, there's much more to come.**

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><p><em><strong>May 24th<strong>_

Emma tossed back her shot of tequila and scrunched her face as the awful taste burned in her throat. She bit down on her lime as hard as possible and sucked at it until no drop of juice was left. Ruby laughed as she took her own shot, not seeming to care too much about the taste.

"How can you just _do _that?" Emma half-shouted as the music at the bar pounded loudly in her ears, "It's so gross."

Ruby wiggled her eyebrows and smirked as she licked the remaining drops of lime off her lips.

"Years of practice."

Emma puffed out a breath as Ruby laughed again, tossing her dark locks over her shoulder.

"Oh come on, Em, don't be so grumpy. Tequila's not for everyone. It just happens to be for me."

Emma rolled her eyes and asked the bartender for a beer, her own personal favorite. She took a long sip as it was sat down in front of her. When she could no longer sense the tequila in her mouth, she smiled widely at Ruby and turned around to face the dance floor. She quickly scanned the room. Mostly drunk teens with fake ID's. She still had to get used to the fact that she didn't need hers. It was a Thursday night, which meant school the next day. Except for Emma of course, who was off on Fridays. Not that many of these teens cared about school anyway. Emma once again blessed her work-schedule as she'd done so many times before. Teaching first grade could be a blast, but it could sure as hell also be a pain in the ass. Only doing it four times a week made it less of a pain. She loved having these long weekends. Long weekends meant more time to work on her songs. It gave her more time to herself, and that was something she had always cherished. And of course, time to practice with her band, _Skyfires._

She suddenly felt a smack on her ass and turned to see Ruby grinning, while eagerly pointing in the direction of a brunette sipping a Strawberry Daiquiri in one of the booths at the bar. She was wearing a tight, black dress that showed too much of her cleavage and hugged her waist so tightly Emma wondered if she was even able to breath.

"She's hot! Go talk to her!" Ruby's voice sounded shrill from shouting over the sound of the music. Emma shook her head.

"Not my type."

Ruby sighed heavily.

"No one is your type. Either they're too much of this or too little of that. You're so damn picky it's starting to get on my nerves." She threw back another shot of tequila before crossing her arms over her chest.

"I think both you and I know it's been getting on your nerves for quite some time", Emma said and winked at the brunette. That earned her a smack on the shoulder from Ruby, and she rubbed at the now sore spot while laughing.

"I don't know what it is with you and this crazy obsession with finding me a girlfriend", Emma said.

"It's not crazy!" Ruby threw her hands up in frustration, "You're a hot lesbian without any lesbian experience. _That's_ what's crazy. You've got to get yourself some pu—"

Emma threw a hand over Ruby's mouth and pinned her with a glare.

"Shut. Up." The blonde kept her hand over Ruby's mouth until the brunette caved and nodded.

"Fine. But it's true. You can't call yourself Japanese until you've had some sushi," Ruby said and wiggled her eyebrows again. Emma just rolled her eyes.

"What's that even supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means."

The two young women continued to drink, and Ruby continued to point at possible girls for Emma to go home with, which the blonde continued shrugging off. It wasn't until the bar was almost empty and the sun was rising did they leave. Emma alone, Ruby with her hand in the pocket of a tall football player.

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><p>Regina hurriedly scribbled in her notebook, trying to follow what the lecturer was saying. She found this class horribly boring. She didn't care for statistics. She could not see the use of learning this. It wasn't like she would ever use it in the future. If there was one thing she hated about University life, it was this class. Not that she was particularly fond of anything surrounding her education. The bitter realization of her parent's 'betrayal' came creeping back to her mind.<p>

"_We've signed you up for Harvard, darling."_

"_What? But I thought I could choose for myself?"_

"_Well yes sweetheart, but you were taking awfully long, and appliance needed to be done. Besides, Harvard is your best possible opportunity. What else could you possibly have in mind?"_

Regina curled her lip. A bittersweet taste lingered in her mouth as she thought back to this moment. Her parents knew nothing. Nothing about her, her dreams. Or maybe they knew but chose to 'forget' due to their own neatly thought-out plans for their daughter. But they loved her deeply, she knew as much. And she couldn't bear to let them down. She wanted them to be proud of her. Especially her mother. Which was why she hadn't said anything when they'd shoved Harvard University in her face.

"_Nothing, mother. Nothing at all."_

"_Well that settles it then. Starting this year, you'll be studying business at the University of Harvard."_

_Regina's parents wrapped her in a tight three-way hug. Her father kissed her hair softly._

"_We're so proud of you, honey."_

Even now, almost a year later, tears appeared in the corner of her eyes. No matter what they made her endure, those words from her parents made up for it all. She could deal with hours and hours of statistics, finances, and marketing if it meant her parents proudly smiling at her when she graduated.

She felt a nudge against her side. As she turned her head she found Kathryn, blonde and blue-eyed, looking at her skeptically. Regina smiled a tight smile.

"What's wrong? You've been staring into the air for the past ten minutes," Kathryn whispered.

Regina shook her head slightly, realizing that indeed, she had.

"I was just…lost in my own thoughts, I guess."

Kathryn gave her a tender smile and stroked her arm. It was almost as if she knew exactly what had been going on inside Regina's head. And if she had guessed, she would most likely had guessed right. Kathryn knew Regina way better than Regina cared to admit. And well, vice versa.

"Fifteen minutes left till freedom. Don't forget, my house, tonight, 8 o'clock." Kathryn smiled brightly.

Regina giggled silently. She'd forgotten that Kathryn had planned for her and the last member of their trio, Belle, to have a little 'party' at her house this Thursday. None of them had lectures until noon the next day, so _"might as well take advantage", _as Kathryn had put it.

"I'll be there. But _you _remember, as far as my parents are concerned, it's just a cozy sleepover with PJ's and hair-braiding."

Both young women had to laugh, earning them a few looks from other students. _All of these people are so ridiculously up tight, _Regina thought to herself. No wonder Kathryn was the only friend she'd made in all of her classes. Apart from Belle, but she was studying education and therefore, they had no classes together. They'd all met at the walk-through of the first day.

"I guess I'll cancel the male stripper, then," Kathryn joked.

Regina clammed a hand over her mouth, choking down her laughter. She would never understand for what reasons Kathryn was studying something as dry and boring as business. _"I couldn't make up my mind, so I left it up to fate." Eeny, meeny, miny, moe _that was. At least that was the explanation she'd once received from Kathryn, after having shared three bottles of white wine.

The lecturer finally dismissed the class, and everyone collected their things and headed for the door of the auditorium. Kathryn gave Regina a peck on the cheek as they parted ways.

"See you at eight."

"I'll bring the wine."

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><p><em><strong>May 25th<strong>_

The next day, Emma woke up with a blinding headache and a furry mouth. She blamed Ruby as much as she blamed the tequila. She opened one eye halfway to look at her phone. It was 9am. _Damn it. _How she hated that no matter what, she was unable to sleep in. She'd slept three good hours. She turned over in her bed and felt her stomach do a flip. She froze, lying perfectly still as she waited for the nausea to pass. As it did, she groaned loudly over her own misery and tugged the duvet up around her ears. She knew she wouldn't go back to sleep, but she wished that just for once, she would. As the minutes passed and her stomach started growling along with her pounding head, she decided there was no point in hoping for a miracle, and threw the duvet aside. She sat up slowly, not wanting to anger her already upset stomach. Luckily, both her parents were at work, so they wouldn't have to see her like this. _Adoptive parents_, she corrected herself.

As Emma rose from the bed she knocked over a glass of water from three hours ago. It splashed meters ahead, soaking all her previous notes for her next lesson that were lying on the floor. _Shit. Shit shit. Fuck this. _In a rush she pulled her t-shirt over her head and laid it down on the pool of water, trying to soak it up before it completely ruined her work. As her t-shirt got soaked through, she threw it away and collected her papers, laying them out to dry in the window. She continued to curse herself as she cleaned up her mess. _Well done Swan, fucking well done. _As far as she could see, her notes were still readable and her lesson was saved. She picked another t-shirt from her closet and pulled it over her head, heading for the kitchen.

As she gulped down her second glass of water and ate her sweet cereal, Emma's body started to complain less. She sat in the window looking over their front yard, her skin warm from the sunlight shining through the glass. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the silence for a few moments. She really loved being alone. With no-one to judge her, no one to stand up to, no one but herself and her own thoughts. Even though they did get awfully loud sometimes. _Music, _she thought to herself and got up to turn on the stereo. The soft tones of _Daughter _filled the living room and she immediately relaxed. She walked back to the window and sat down, crunching her cereal and sipping her water. It was only 9:40am by now, and she wondered what she might get this day to go by with. _Endless possibilities. _For now she'd just enjoy the peacefulness of being on her own with a bad hangover.

She glanced over the walls of the living room, walls covered in family pictures that had only recently started to feature herself. She'd been adopted by Mary Margaret and David Nolan at the age of 16, which would make it almost five years ago. Pictures of them at the beach, at restaurants, her graduation, the first time they took her to a bar when she turned 18. Or rather a pub. She was still trying to get used to the surroundings of Devon, England. Up until she was passed on to the Nolan's, she'd only ever circulated families in the U.S. It had been a terrifying experienced to be pulled from her home country at only 16. But she'd soon settled in with Mary Margaret and David. And truth was, she'd never been happier.

She'd been passed on to 10 different families during her short life, but it was the first time she'd ever felt like she was _a part _of a family. Her parents loved her deeply, she could tell. And they did everything that stood in their power to prove it to her. Apart from family and love, the sexy British accent she'd gotten during the years was also on the plus side. She chuckled to herself. She'd started talking to herself a lot after she realized how sexy she sounded all of a sudden.

Emma's thoughts were interrupted as her phone made the chiming sound of a received email. She picked it up and furrowed her brows. It was from her band's YouTube account. Someone had commented on a video.

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><p>Regina sat at her desk, body aching and head pounding. She stared at her laptop, eyes wide and scanning the screen attentively. Her mind was still hazy, but even so, one particular part of the previous night stood as clear as daylight. She typed something new in the search bar. <em>I have to know. I just have to know. <em>She felt as if she couldn't move on without knowing. And even though that might seem "_overly dramatic and ridiculous"_, as her mother had told her when she'd kept rambling about having to look it up on her laptop, Regina knew she wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully if she didn't know. _It saved my life. I have to know who made it. And thank them_. She cleared her throat. It still felt achy and a bit too tight after last night, but the doctors had said she'd be just fine. The only thing she'd now have to worry about was reassuring Kathryn that she should not feel guilty.

Regina tried picking at her memory, willing herself to remember. She recalled the chilly air as she was carried to the ambulance. She recalled the smell of chemicals and metal. The burning in her chest. How her world kept leaping in and out of darkness. She remembered the heartfelt plea of someone telling her to hold on. She remembered thinking she was going to die. She remembered that she almost did. But then those words had echoed in her head. The words that had kept her eyes from rolling back in her head again. And the voice singing them.

"_You're still alive, your story's not over_

_Pick your heart's pieces up_

_Your blood is thicker than water _

_Can you feel the flood in your arteries?_

_That is your life calling from underneath."_

_Yes! _There it was. What she'd been trying to remember ever since she'd woken up in the hospital bed. _The lyrics_. The lyrics to the song that had been playing in the ambulance's radio. Regina did a little jump in her chair and eagerly clapped her hands together. She typed in the words, and awaited her Wi-Fi to cooperate and give her an answer. As the search ended, on top of the page was a link to a video. She clicked it.

Regina was unconsciously holding her breath as the video opened and music started playing from her laptop. As she recognized the tune and lyrics, tears suddenly sprung to her eyes. It was so immensely beautiful. The depth to the powerful words was indescribable. And the specific part that Regina had remembered was truly what had kept her on the right side of life. _You're still alive, your story's not over_. She laughed at how perfect it had actually fit.

As Regina took a look at the actual music video, it was easy to see that this was not professionally made. It couldn't be a known band. However, it didn't bother her. It didn't really matter. The music was what she focused on. And the lead singer. A blonde woman stood at the center of the setup, microphone in front of her and guitar in hand. Her head was bend down towards her guitar, curly locks covering her face, making Regina unable to see her face. But the raspy sound of her vibrant voice was as clear-cut as crystal. Regina watched her, not taking notice to whoever was playing the remaining instruments.

As the blonde reached the sentence _"Can you feel the flood in your arteries?"_ she raised her head and looked into the camera. The video cut to a close-up of her face and Regina gasped slightly. She felt the tiny hairs on her body rise as she looked into emerald eyes shining with emotion. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she took in the sight. _She's beautiful. She's absolutely beautiful._

Regina continued to replay the video for another half hour, and then decided to make a comment, expressing her gratitude. She did realize how utterly insane she sounded when explaining her reasons for leaving a comment, but frankly, she didn't care. _I might have died if it hadn't been for this song._ She pressed post. As soon as her comment was sent, she decided to dig into this band she'd discovered. Apparently, their name was _Skyfires_. Interesting. It consisted of not more than three people – a bass-player, a drummer, and a guitarist/lead singer. The blonde. Or as their band profile informed – _Emma Swan._


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all, I want to give a big THANK YOU to everyone that has followed, favorited and reviewed this so far! It really means more to me than words can express. You're all wonderful. Getting feedback is what gives me inspiration to keep going. Which brings me to my second of all - here you go, chapter 2 of Where Our Horizons Meet. I hope you'll all enjoy where I'll eventually take this story. There is much more to come!**

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><p><em><strong>May 25th<strong>_

Emma had read the post by _R. Mills_ over and over again, weighing the words in her head. She was still reading it now that the clock rang 11:00 am. This woman, whoever she was, claimed to have been saved by one of the songs that Emma herself had written. For the life of her, Emma couldn't comprehend this. She read the post once again, chewing on her nails.

_Dear Skyfires._

_Dear Miss Swan._

_I wanted to express my gratitude. Now that I'm turning the words over in my head, I realize how crazy I actually sound. But I'll continue nonetheless…_

_This song, 'Ice water', saved my life. Last night I found myself in an ambulance, fighting for my life. At one point I was sure I was going to die. But then this song came on the radio… I can't explain to you what happened, but for some reason, listening to these words and the voice of you, Miss Swan, saved me from letting go. It touched me on a deep level that literally made my life call from underneath._

_There. I said it. Now you may laugh if you want to, but every word is true and I would rather risk you thinking I'm nuts than not telling you how much this song now means to me. I will continue to listen to your other songs. Consider me one of your biggest fans._

_Thank you. Thank you for saving my life._

_R. Mills._

Emma blinked as tears filled her eyes once again, and she rubbed angrily at them, refusing to get this emotional. _What the hell_. The three words that had been roaming around in her head for over an hour. She was stunned. Stunned beyond any other words and she was still having trouble actually believing that this R. Mills wasn't indeed, full of shit. But there was something in the careful choice of words and how she pictured this woman writing them that made her believe the sincerity in them. She shook her head. _Don't get ahead of yourself, Swan._

Emma finally jumped off the window frame and stretched her aching body. Her head was only pounding a tiny bit now, so the worst of her hangover had already passed. She decided she would take a shower before answering the Madame behind the post. She needed to clear her head. But she wouldn't discuss it with either Ruby or August before answering her. Even though they were the rest of the band. It did seem like her post was directed mostly at Emma anyway…

As the cascades of scolding water soaked her hair and body, Emma couldn't help but wonder who this woman was, how she looked like. Based on the post, she pictured her as a pretty up-tight rich bitch. But then again, all she did was be polite and use fancy words now and then. Emma felt like there was something more to her. The whole situation about her "being saved by the song" suggested that she was a pretty serious dreamer. Creative. Passionate. Intelligent. Funny. Beautiful.

Emma shook her head again and mentally slapped herself. What the hell was she even doing, standing in her shower, fantasizing about a complete stranger. She could be a fat, forty-year-old woman with a mustache and twenty-five cats. She sighed deeply and wrapped herself in a towel as she got out of the shower. As she got dressed and dried her hair she thought about what she could respond to her secret admirer. _Shut up, Swan._

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><p>"I can't believe you actually wrote the band, Regina. You're insane."<p>

Kathryn stroked Regina's hair with the brush again, before starting on the French braid. After yesterday, the girls had decided that old-fashioned hair braiding should be their deal for a little while. Belle spoke up next.

"I don't think it's insane. It's quite amazing, in my opinion. I mean the fact that this song... Did something to you. It's like..."

"Like magic," Regina said, finishing Belle's sentence and earning four very raised eyebrows before loud laughter filled her room.

"Not literally! I just mean... Whatever." Regina clucked her tongue and shook her head at her still laughing friends.

The face of blonde locks and emerald eyes popped into her mind again and made her shiver. She closed her eyes for a brief moment. _What is going on with you, silly? You don't even know her._ All she knew was that she was a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice and a beautiful name that was most likely laughing her probably beautiful ass elsewhere over Regina right this second. She chuckled silently before looking up at her laughing friends and pinning them with a stare. _Huh_. Payback was due.

"Well, if it weren't for _you two_ I wouldn't have had any reason to contact them, would I now?"

Both young women clammed up instantly. Kathryn looked as if she was a puppy that Regina had just kicked furiously. She even saw a tear linger in the corner of the blonde's eye. Belle put a comforting hand on Kathryn's shoulder and avoided eye contact with Regina.

"That was a low blow," said the brunette.

Regina swallowed thickly.

"No, I'm... I'm sorry. That was not fair. Not at all. I'm sorry."

They both continued keeping their eyes down. Regina felt her stomach knot up as she was overflown with guilt.

"I'm sorry girls, please. You know my mouth is sometimes faster than my brain and I have this horrible bitch bone that shows now and then." Regina fiddled with her hands, feeling horribly uncomfortable. "You shouldn't feel guilty. None of you could have foreseen what happened. Please stop looking like this. Show me your beautiful smiles."

That earned her two very small but visible smiles. She mentally squealed with glee. She wrapped her arms around both women in a big bear hug. Soon, giggles and broad smiles were all shared between the three of them. They continued to chat away about meaningless stories about school, make-up and boys.

What was going on inside Regina's head was a different story. Her thoughts were occupied by a certain Emma Swan. Even though Regina tried being present and enjoy the conversation, Emma kept popping back into her mind. She had no idea as to why. This unnerving feeling had settled within her ever since she'd seen the face of her savior. And even as she tried telling herself it was just admiration and gratitude, a voice inside her head kept screaming that it was something completely different. _But what…_

She watched the clock closely as the hours passed. For some reason she couldn't wait for her friends to leave. She needed to be alone with her thoughts. _And see if Emma has replied_. She shook her head at herself once again. _This is crazy. You're crazy. _Nonetheless, after dinner was served by her parents and both Belle and Kathryn had left, Regina found herself skipping steps on the stairs towards her room, rushing in to start up her laptop.

As it came to life and she opened her email-account, she caught herself holding her breath. And as she saw the email from Emma waiting to be read, her heart leaped into her throat and she swallowed thickly. _Jeez. Calm down. _She clicked it with trembling fingers. She really had to get a hold of herself, because this was far out of line. But she'd solve that later.

_Hi R. Mills._

_Madame._

_After staring at your post for like forever, I finally thought I'd better answer you._

_First of all, I'd like to thank you for this. My music is everything to me, and the fact that 'Ice Water' basically saved your life, well that is pretty fucking amazing. So yeah… thanks and all._

_I didn't laugh and I won't laugh. You've earned my respect. And I have to say, I'm intrigued by you. Which brings me to my second of all – what other music do you listen to?_

_Emma._

Regina furrowed her brows. She read the message again; just to be sure she'd gotten it right. Emma didn't find her insane. She believed her. And she respected her. This alone was enough to make Regina smile broadly. And as she read the blunt question again, she laughed. Loud and carefree, and she didn't know why. She wasn't laughing at Emma though. She just felt happy, like she had to laugh simply because emotions were bubbling inside her and had to spill in some way.

Then she started thinking. _What music do I even listen to?_ Suddenly she felt like she didn't have any taste in music. Not that she had bad taste – she just didn't have any. And it bugged her immensely because she wanted to give Emma a good answer. _Just think of something. One artist. _In a moment of desperation she opened up her iTunes and scrolled through the mess it was. After too many minutes of nothing, she stumbled upon an orange cover. _Ed Sheeran! I adore him_. She jumped in her chair and clapped her hands together eagerly. With renewed hope she typed in her answer.

_Dear Miss Swan._

_Thank you, for your kindness. I'm beyond happy that you think so, that you feel like this. I really did fear that you would find me utterly insane. My friends seem to think so of me… So, you're very welcome._

_I just realized how bad I am at answering questions like this. Which is why I don't have much of an answer to offer you. But anyhow – I love Ed Sheeran. His lyrics are almost as beautiful as yours._

_May I ask you the same question?_

_R._

Regina bit her bottom lip and stared at her message. She debated whether to send it or not. She felt anxious as well as excited and she couldn't decide which feeling was the cause of the flips her stomach was doing. She closed her eyes and pressed send. _There. What harm can it do anyway?_

* * *

><p>Emma jumped high as Ruby's words echoed in the microphone, making them even louder than they would have been were they not in their practicing studio.<p>

"You did _what?_" Emma clammed her hands over her ears as the volume of Ruby's voice made the microphone screech.

"Calm your tits, Rubes. I said I answered this girl on YouTube already. She was very polite and very thankful and since she wrote 'Miss Swan' I figured I didn't need to talk to you guys about it."

"Don't you tell me to calm down! I have a reason to be mad. Emma, we're a _band_. We should make these kind of decisions together," she swung her bas onto her back so she could cross her arms over her chest, "This is so typically you."

Emma was about to protest but the rapid sound of drumsticks hammering against drums cut her off. August stopped his hammering when he had both women's attention.

"You two," he pointed one drumstick in their direction, "better stop this or I call it quits on today's practice. I've got things to do and places to be. I'm not gonna sit by while you bitch-fight. Em, under other circumstances we should discuss this beforehand, but since this girl seems to have a lesbian crush on you, all is good. Rubs – step away from the mic if you wanna be unreasonably loud. I plan to use my ears in the future."

Emma had to smirk at August's comment to Ruby, but as soon as the words directed to herself sunk in, she spoke up.

"Hey! Not cool, Gus. This has nothing to do with crushes or lesbians. I just felt like she deserved a personal answer… from me."

Ruby laughed contemptuously.

"Oh please," she walked over to the dusty computer standing in the corner of the room and read the post again, "Did you _read _this? '_Listening to these words and the voice of you…it touched me on a deep level_.'" Ruby turned towards Emma again and placed her hands on her hips. "This is a whole new kind of gay."

"Shut up," Emma pushed Ruby out of the way and exited the post. She walked towards her own microphone, "Let's just practice."

Ruby and August shared a knowing look and chose to let it go for now. But they both knew there was more to this story. Either Emma refused to acknowledge that or she just didn't want them to meddle. Ruby was convinced that this girl had already been staring in a dirty dream of Emma's, though.

Emma grabbed her guitar and instantly started playing the intro of the song they were about to play before Ruby had a terrible fit of overreaction. Emma could still feel the rage bubbling in her veins, but as the others joined in on the song and she started singing, everything faded away and was just background noise. The only thoughts still loud enough for her to hear were the thoughts of the mysterious R. Mills. _I've gotta ask for her first name. Or is that too stalkerish? What's not Swan, you asked a perfect stranger a personal question. _Lost in her head, she hit the wrong note entering the refrain and August had to drumbeat everyone correctly in again. She gave her band mates an apologetic smile. Damn this Madame. But Emma couldn't help it. Her curiosity concerning the other woman was enormous, and no matter how hard she tried telling herself to drop it and leave her alone, she couldn't. _What are the chances that our song played in the radio anyway. There's gotta be something else at work here..._

They continued to practice and Emma continued to screw up for the next hour. When it was late at night and time to do things and go places for August, Emma drove home faster than intended. David was out on a business dinner, but Mary Margaret was alive and kicking at home, eager to have a long chat with Emma about her day. Emma on the other hand, just wanted to duck into her room and check her email.

"How was your day, honey?" Mary Margaret gave Emma a wet kiss on her forehead.

"Good, fine, just right." Emma desperately tried to avoid any further digging into a conversation.

"What about practice? You did meet with Ruby and August today, right?"

"Yes, yes I did and it was just fine as well. All the same."

"Is something wrong, sweetheart?" Mary Margaret furrowed her small brows and looked at Emma with worry in her eyes. Emma instantly felt guilty.

"No, nothing at all mom, it's just been a long day and I still have this lesson plan I want to go over even though it's not until Tuesday."

Emma swallowed thickly. She hated lying to Mary Margaret. She was such a kind and amazing person and it felt like stealing candy from a kid. Nonetheless, she really wanted to see if the Madame had answered.

"Oh of course, honey. I'll let you go then. Did you eat?"

"Yes," Emma lied again, walking towards her room. She closed the door quickly behind her and exhaled. As the guilt slowly faded, she made her way to her laptop and started it up. Ten minutes later it was still not fully ready. _This damn thing is so slow and old. I should buy a new one. _She chewed on her nails as she waited for all the icons and stupid warning messages to pop up. When all was clear, she opened her email. And sure enough, there was a message from "R". She read through it and couldn't help but smirk. For some reason she'd thought Madame Mills wouldn't answer. _I guess I'm quite the charmer._ She read the compliment directed to her again. _Whoa. She really does think my music is beautiful. _Emma felt somehow proud of herself, which didn't happen often, but when it did, Emma knew it could get ugly. _Don't turn into a smug ass on her, Swan_. She felt even more intrigued by this woman now that she had shown some interest in return. So she cracked her fingers and started typing her answer.

_Hello '"R" (I feel like there should be a few more letters following here, or is it just me?)_

_No need to thank me. I'm simply speaking the truth. And I have to say, if that's true then those are some pretty shitty friends you have. No offense.  
><em>_Anyway. It just so is that I fucking **love** Ed Sheeran, too. We've got something in common there.  
><em>_But other than him… well, I listen to a lot of music. It's kinda my thing, but I guess you already figured that much. I like Daughter, The Neighbourhood, Ben Howard, Lauren Aquilina. I could pretty much go on, but I don't want to bore you._

_Next question – Do you dance/like to dance?_

_E. (You already know the following letters.)_

Emma looked at her message, again feeling pretty proud of herself. But also excited. Nervous, even. For some reason she really wanted this woman to like her. She was afraid she might be too blunt and weird or shit. But she didn't want to be pretentious either. So she just had to settle for being herself and hope for the best. Which was mostly destined to fail, given her experience. Before sending her message, she hit "private". The whole world of YouTube didn't need to see their conversation. She had the feeling this would go on for some time.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: A big, giant MWAH and thank you to everyone following this story so far! And thank you so much for all your reviews and kind words. They really feed my will to go on. So here you have chapter 3, lovely people. XX**

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><p><em><strong>May 26<strong>__**th**_

Regina jumped in her chair as her head dropped again and she opened her eyes, her eyelids flickering. She looked around her to make sure no one had seen her fall asleep. Especially not her professor. His steady voice was the loudest sound in the room, followed by the scribbling sound of pencils against paper. This had been happening ever since her alarm went off early this morning. Her eyes would flutter shut without her having any power to stop it. She'd always hated Mondays, but then again who didn't. This Monday was particularly tough however, if you were to measure it by how exhausted Regina was. She could only blame herself though. Regina giggled silently and shook her head. She'd been up all night writing with Emma. When she'd received her second message from the blonde, only twenty minutes after she'd sent her own, they'd spiraled into a long conversation of everything between heaven and earth. She still had no idea as to how and why she'd let it go on for so long.

_"Regina. My first name is Regina."_

_"Wow. That's an unusual name. I don't think I've ever heard it before. It's beautiful though."_

_"Thank you. It's Latin. It means queen."_

_"Are you serious? That's precious. So you're Latino?"_

_"Well, since I'm a girl, I'm Latin__**a**__, to be exact. But yes, I'm Spanish. That doesn't have anything to do with a Latin name though."_

_"Oh come on, cut me some slack. I'm no expert on this. You can lighten up a bit, your Majesty."_

Regina smiled as broadly as she'd done when first reading that message. _Unbelievable. _Emma Swan was simply unbelievable. She was funny, hilarious even, and very sarcastic, but Regina felt like she might have a soft side to her, even though she tried hard to hide it. _I'll discover that soon enough. _

Regina had learned that Emma was originally from America, such as herself, but had been living in England for the past five years. She hadn't asked why though, since Emma seemed to tiptoe around the details, and Regina didn't want to pry. They'd only known each other for two days after all. She'd also learned that Emma taught the first grade in English and math. And well, she already knew that the blonde played in a band.

The conversation hadn't stayed focused on names, origin and hobbies though. Soon they'd started asking each other all sorts of silly questions, or just started chatting about whatever sprung to their minds. When it was 1am Regina had reluctantly called it quits. Emma had just as reluctantly let her go to bed. Four hours later, a little past 5am, Regina's alarm had gone off. She lived a good way from the University, and had to take her first bus at 6:20. She'd fallen asleep on the bus and almost not gotten out in time for her stop.

As Regina's thoughts centered around Emma, not paying the slightest attention to what was going on, on the board in front of her, her phone buzzed as if on cue. Regina sneakily fished it out of her pocket.

_"How tall are you?"_

Regina smiled at the bluntness of Emma. She hid her phone under her desk and typed in her answer.

_"I'm 1.65. You?"_

Not a minute passed before she received an answer.

_"A shortass like me! But I'm 1.67. Ha! Taller than you."_

_"Oh we can't have that. I might have to check up on that when I get home."_

Regina tried to hide her laughter in her palm. So far no one paid any attention to her.

_"Damn. Thought I could win one here. You at school?"_

_"I am the Queen after all. It's only fitting that I win most battles. Yes. At a sucky lecture about who-knows-what. I'm not really paying much attention. I see some numbers on the board though. Might be math."_

She imagined Emma laughing at her joke, but she wasn't sure if it was that funny. She wasn't used to being funny. But somehow, she wanted to be, when she was writing with Emma.

_"Lmao! Math is the best. You should pay attention!"_

_"You're so wrong. Math is the worst. I don't want to learn any of this!"_

_"Then what do you want to learn?"_

Regina chewed on her bottom lip_. _Not even Kathryn or Belle knew how much she resented what she was majoring in. They didn't know what she really wanted to do. But she felt like she could tell Emma. _You don't even know her. _She typed in her answer and hovered over the send button.

_"Cat got your tongue?"_

Emma was as feisty as ever. Regina held her breath and pressed send. She had no idea why she was so nervous.

_"Writing. I want to write."_

_"A writer, huh. That's amazing. So are we talking poems, novels?_

_"Everything. But mostly I want to be a script writer."_

_"That's really cool. I just want my band to go worldwide and famous."_

_"But that's amazing too, Emma! You make incredible music."_

_"Thank you."_

Regina's stomach twisted uncomfortably. Had she said something wrong? The minutes stretched and still no answer from Emma. Regina typed in something quick. She couldn't bare the silence.

_"So, what are you up to, Emma?"_

_"Just having a break in-between lectures. I'm teaching a math class in 30 minutes."_

_"Oh okay. How many classes do you teach?"_

_"Well I teach all the first graders at the school, in both math and English. It's a big school, so five classes, but I only teach eight times a week."_

Before Regina could reply, the bell rang and the class was over. She noticed Kathryn staring at her with a quirked eyebrow. _Dammit. _She smiled awkwardly and rose from her chair to walk out of the auditorium, trying to avoid any questions from the blonde. As she walked in front of Kathryn, Regina quickly typed in a goodbye to Emma before slipping her phone into her pocket again. Ninety minutes had passed, and whatever the professor had been talking about, Regina had learned nothing. _This can't go on. I'll fail all my classes. And then the whole thing will have been in vain. _But even so, she found herself excited to get to her next class and continue her conversation with Emma.

* * *

><p>Emma was pacing uneasily around the classroom as the students were occupied with the worksheet she'd just given them. The silence was only broken by a few whispering questions around the tables. She chewed on her nails. Her fingers were itching to text Regina, but it was against school policy to text during classes. For obvious reasons that Emma couldn't care less about right now. <em>You texted with her all night dumbass. And all morning. You can go an hour without her. Pull yourself together, Swan. <em>She sat down at her desk and started flipping through the endless amount of papers in her folder, all papers that needed to be sorted out. _Might as well kill the time. And get my mind off of her. _

As she started scribbling, marking and sorting, she did find her mind drifting on to other topics. What she was going to eat for dinner. _I wonder what Regina's favorite food is? _If she should watch a movie tonight and which one. _Typical romantic comedies must just be Regina's thing. _That she should really get started on that book her parents got her for Christmas. _Maybe I can read some of Regina's stuff one day. _As this went on for the entire hour, Emma ended up not finishing any of her paperwork, but instead she had a whole bunch of new questions for Regina and figuratively red cheeks from mentally slapping herself.

As her class finished and the students rose from their chairs to exit the classroom, Emma felt her heart flutter in her chest. This was her last class, which meant she was now free. _Free to write with Regina. _She rolled her eyes and gathered her stuff before rising from her own chair.

"Have a nice day. I'll see you all on Wednesday."

She didn't like how the level of authority in her voice sometimes rose when she was speaking to the students. She wanted to be their friend, even if she was their teacher. She hadn't become a teacher to "rule over others" or feel like she had "power" over someone. She just wanted to be important to someone, to enrich someone's life even if it was with simple knowledge of the English language and mathematic skills. She loved teaching. And she loved feeling like she was accepted by all of the kids in her classes. She loved kids in general. They were always so bright-eyed, full of life and open to learn as much as possible, as fast as possible. Not like many of the adults in this world. Children bring something else to your daily life that Emma was sure she couldn't be without at this point.

Of course it had also been her easiest way out when she was done with high school. Because of her amazing grades, Mary Margaret had been able to give her an apprentice spot at the school she worked on as a teacher herself. Emma had soon proven her worth and was hired full-time. She couldn't believe her luck at first. She'd never really succeeded in anything in life, maybe apart from the band. _We're not really successful though. _It was new to her, to feel like she was floating with the stream instead of against it.

Emma drove home in her beloved car faster than usual. _Old reliable Granny_. Even being almost twenty years old, Granny still ran as good as ever. But speeding a bit too much was not healthy, after all. She padded the roof of dear Granny as she got out. She'd been handed down to Emma as a graduation present from Mary Margaret and David. Another reason why her new parents were simply amazing and the best ones she'd ever had. _That sounds fucked up. _She laughed at herself while entering her home, finding both her parents in the kitchen eating lunch. Her father smiled broadly at her.

"Someone's in a good mood. Kids good today?"

Emma walked over and gave them both a kiss on the cheek.

"Yes I guess so. No trouble, as usual."

Mary Margaret smiled warmly and cupped one of Emma's cheeks. The pride in her eyes was evident and Emma squirmed under her gaze. She was still not used to the genuine care these two showed her. She smiled awkwardly before sitting down at the table with them, and started grabbing small pieces of food from their plates. David chuckled.

"Why don't I get you your own plate, young lady?"

Emma smirked.

"Thanks, dad!"

Emma saw how David inhaled deeply at that. She knew how much they appreciated her calling them by their parental terms. And she really did love saying it to them, unlike in her other families. Because this was the first time she really felt it.

David put a sandwich and French Fries in front of Emma. This was when her phone dinged. Emma's breath caught in her throat and she swallowed thickly. _Regina_. At first she thought best to ignore the brunette, since her parents were present. But the dinging went on. She counted five dings, and with each of them her parents' brows quirked further.

"Someone's eager to get a hold of you." Mary Margaret's voice was low and somehow teasing. _Does she know? How could she?_ Emma laughed nervously and bit down on her sandwich. As her phone dinged for the sixth time, David laughed and patted his daughter's shoulder.

"You can check it if you want to, sweetheart."

Emma fished her phone out of her pocket without a second thought. She couldn't help the beaming smile that spread on her lips.

"_Hi Emma! How was your day?"_

_"I hope your math class wasn't as boring as mine, ha!"_

_"I'm sorry, was that too rude?"_

_"I'm sure your classes are much more fun than mine."_

_"You're certainly not boring, Emma."_

_"I'm rambling. I'm sorry. Don't even mind me."_

Emma had to bite down on her tongue to keep from laughing. Regina was being cute beyond words. She typed in her answer, still with the broadest smile on her lips.

_"Lmao, Regina, you're not being rude! You're simply being immensely cute and I can't stop smiling, to be honest."_

Not more than a few seconds went by before Emma received an answer.

_"Okay thank god, I was getting anxious that I might have upset you…"_

_"Not at all, believe me."_

_"I believe you. Now I'm smiling, too."_

Emma felt her stomach flip at that and she looked up from her phone to find both her parents staring at her. Her smile faded instantly and she felt her cheeks burn. _Dammit_. Mary Margaret lifted an eyebrow in question. Emma knew her mother expected an answer. For some reason Emma felt like she needed to lie.

"Um… Rubes said something funny."

The way both David and Mary Margaret looked at her, Emma knew they didn't buy that for even a second. But for some reason they chose to leave her be. For now. Instead they continued eating in silence. Emma looked down at her phone again to see a new message from Regina.

_"So, what are you up to, dear?"_

Emma had to shake her head. _If only she knew._

_"I'm eating lunch with my parents. You?"_

_"I'm just doing some homework. Exams are soon and I need to be fit and ready."_

_"Shouldn't you be, I don't know, __**not **__texting me then?"_

Emma smirked and chuckled low in her throat. She liked teasing Regina.

_"Yes… I guess so. But you're just way better company than my assignments."_

Emma felt her stomach flip again and bit down on her bottom lip.

_"Is that so?"_

_"Yes."_

Somehow Regina's short and clipped answer made the sincerity all the more evident. Emma's smile was broader than ever as she typed in her response.

_"I'd love to accompany you and your assignments."_

There was a long pause where Emma didn't get any response from Regina. She started feeling a bit anxious, her stomach knotting unpleasantly. She chewed on her nails as she waited. Had she stepped over the line? But then came the response from the brunette, five minutes later, and all of Emma's knots turned into butterflies.

_"Maybe one day you will."_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Another chapter is up! This time a little longer than the previous ones. This is when Regina and Emma really start to write and stuff start to happen. I hope you'll find this chapter to your liking! Reviews are always appreciated, I really love hearing what all of you think. I'm in this to learn and improve, not just for the fun of it! Thank you so much for following this story, much love to you all XO.**

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><p><em><strong>May 26th<strong>_

As Regina finally sent the five words that had been screaming at her for five minutes, she threw her phone down on her bed and buried her face in her hands. She squealed silently. What was she doing? That was way too much. She couldn't even find any coherent answer as to why she'd said that. _Maybe one day you will_. Whoa. Just whoa. Regina didn't dare to pick up her phone and look for a response from Emma. And she didn't get the chance to, because right then, her mother knocked on her door and walked in without waiting for an answer. As soon as she caught site of Regina's cramped up position on her bed, she furrowed her brows and put her hands on her hips.

"Shouldn't you be doing your homework?" Her voice was stern and Regina shrunk a little. She always felt so insecure around her mother. _More than usual, anyway. _She straightened up a bit but kept her eyes on the floor.

"Yes, mother, I'm sorry. I will."

Cora's lips formed what were to be the pretentious version of a smile, but whatever it was faded as soon as Regina's phone dinged. She gave Regina a look. A look Regina knew far too well and feared just as well.

"I hope you're not wasting your time chatting with boys. You don't have time for a love life if you're going to succeed with your studies," she paused, her expression going thoughtful like she was elsewhere in time, before continuing, "and we both know what happened the last time you tried."

Regina contorted her face in pain as her mother used that argument on her again. Cora walked towards Regina and closed in on the space between them. She grabbed her daughter's chin sternly and lifted her eyes off the ground. She trailed her thumb over Regina's lips before slowly tilting her head and with pity in her eyes said:

"Love is weakness, darling. And you're weak enough already. You don't need anything to tip you over the edge."

Cora's voice was like ice-cold water running through Regina's veins and she shivered. Her mother was right. Regina was weak. And she was afraid. She'd always been so and she always would be. But that didn't mean that Cora's words didn't hurt.

"Yes, mother."

Cora smiled and padded Regina's cheek.

"Good girl. Now do your homework, sweetheart. Lucky for you, you have your wits."

Regina nodded and rose from her bed to sit down at her desk again. As Cora exited her room, Regina held back the tears that were threatening to spill.

Ever since Regina's experience with her first "boyfriend", Daniel, her mother had been giving her a hard time about it. About anything concerning love, or even caring for someone too much. Anything that would take her mind off of her studies, her mother disapproved of. But she had a right to be concerned, after how the relationship ended. After how stupid Regina had been.

Daniel was an attractive senior at her college. As Regina was way too shy and insecure to even consider flirting with someone, he had been the one to make contact with her. At first he'd been a classy guy, a real gentleman that treated Regina like a lady. Even during their first time, Regina's first time, he'd been gentle and patient. He had made Regina fall in love with him fast and intensely. But soon he turned out to be a real… _asshole_.

Regina felt the bitter taste of remorse creep around in her mouth. She _hated _him. She hated him for what he'd done to her. He had ruined her. She had been naïve; she knew nothing about love or trust. She'd never had anyone tell her about it. Her mother didn't touch such subjects with as much as a finger. And her father… well of course she couldn't talk to him about stuff like that. So Regina had been alone in figuring things out. Which meant she'd trusted Daniel with her heart even though she shouldn't have. As soon as he'd gotten what he wanted, her virtue, she'd found him in bed with a girl from his own class. He'd left Regina behind with a broken heart and shattered dreams.

After that, she'd build walls up around herself, for protection. She'd started believing that what her mother said was true. Love is weakness. And you shouldn't waste your time with it, because it can only hurt you. Regina's walls were high. And they kept her scared of commitment. She knew panic better than she knew love. Ever since Daniel betrayed her, she'd fled anyone that ever tried getting to know her. She didn't hate the idea of love. She was _scared_ of it.

In her mess of thoughts, Regina barely registered her phone going off again. But as it continued to do so, her conscious was brought back to the present. To Emma. The tears she'd been holding back finally spilled silently down her cheeks. _Emma_. Again she questioned why she'd sent the message containing those five words. How could she ever live up to the promise they held? What was she even trying to promise? What was going _on_ with this blonde beauty? Was Emma climbing up her walls? Could anyone ever? Regina rose from the chair and kicked at it angrily. It skated across the floor and bumped into her bookshelf, making some of the books fall over. _No_. _You don't even know this girl. What are you even suggesting? Oh god Regina, you've lost it for good this time. _

Regina's phone dinged again. This time she picked it up.

"_Hi you! Still doing homework?"_

"_Wow, you must be really into whatever you're doing."_

"_Are you ignoring me?"_

Regina's stomach twisted and she sighed deeply. _Damn it_. Who was she kidding. There was no way out of this now. She started typing as she sat down on her bed. _And I don't want to find one._

* * *

><p><em><strong>May 27<strong>__**th**_

Emma took a long sip of the beer August had just handed her and put her feet up on the table in front of his couch. She loved hanging out at his place. He was cool and laid-back and his apartment represented that as well. From the band posters on the walls to the never-been-dusted shelves with hundredths of CDs, this whole place reeked of August's passion for music. It also reeked of old pizza boxes and empty beer cans, but you got used to the smell in time. By now, it was almost comforting to Emma. After all, August was like a big brother to her.

"So, what's up, sis?"

Emma smiled warmly. And she was like a sister to him.

"Not much, not much. School is as always. Folks as lovely as ever. I've written a few notes to some new songs I want us to try out."

"What about this resurrection gal? Heard anything else from her?"

Emma stiffened a bit and blinked a few times, trying to think of something to say.

"Nah, I just thanked her for her message and told her to check out our other songs. That was pretty much it."

August quirked an eyebrow. He knew Emma was lying. But he chose not to say anything. For some reason Emma kept hiding the truth about this girl, and even though he found it fucking annoying, it was up to Emma to tell him the truth. He knew the blonde wouldn't respond well to being pushed, but would most likely clam up completely and never even consider telling him the truth. So he'd let her take her time. _Better hurry up, sis, before you get yourself in more trouble than you can handle. _

Emma took another sip of her beer. It felt good sliding down her throat and it calmed her nerves. Beer was her best friend. _Except for Rubes and Gus of course_.

"What about you, bro? Any new ladies on the hook? Somewhere I shouldn't shit?"

Emma rose quickly from the couch and made a deal out of looking all over it with wide eyes, before receiving a fist to the shoulder and both of them broke out laughing.

"Em! Come on girl. No, not since that brunette from the bar, last weekend."

August laughed at Emma's expression. He knew she wasn't fond of his way of life when it came to hooking up. But she rarely said a bad word about him, always chose to show interest instead of voicing her disgust. One of the reasons he respected the little weirdo so much.

"What about you? Did you finally cave in on one of Ruby's offers?"

Emma contorted her face in disgust, which only made August laugh again.

"I take that as a no," he took a sip from his beer before eyeing his little sis and digging into more dangerous territory, "What about on your own? Any special lady in your life?"

Emma's thoughts immediately wandered off to Regina. She swallowed thickly. _She's not a lady in your life, Swan. _She bit down on her bottom lip. _Not yet. _Her head jolted up from where she'd been gazing at the floor. _Shut up! _She screamed at herself. _Don't even go there. No. Shush. Never happened. You did not just think that._

"Not particularly," Emma finally answered stiffly, trying for a smile but ending up with a grimace that couldn't be pinned on any emotion. August smirked.

"If you say so."

They continued to talk until their beer was empty and the day had gone dark outside the window. They ordered a pizza from their personal spot, a gross joint that had been in the health inspection's black book for years but somehow always managed to pull through. The crust was always burned and the stuffing was oily, but it had been their very first place to order a pizza when they had first moved to Devon, and therefore it remained as _their spot_.

They had a lot of those. Having known each other for most of their lives will do that to you. When Emma had first arrived in the system, only days old, August had been the one to take care of her, even if he was only a 7-year-old boy that could barely take care of himself. He'd later explained how Emma had been laying in her crib crying for hours without anyone checking on her. As soon as he'd walked up to her and picked her up, she'd stopped crying and given him the most beautiful toothless smile he'd ever laid eyes upon. At least that was his way of explaining it, even though Emma always rolled her eyes at him when he got all sentimental in retelling the story. Nevertheless, he'd sworn then and there to always take care of her. Which was why he'd followed her to Devon when the Nolans had adopted her, even though he was long out of the system. She couldn't remember ever having felt that loved by someone. She would always owe August more than she could ever give him.

When it was time for Emma to head home, school the next day and all, they shared a bear hug and a fist bump before Emma excited the apartment and quickly made her way home. For the first time in hours she checked her phone. No new messages from Regina. She felt her stomach do an uncomfortable twist and found herself somehow disappointed. Sad, even. Was she seriously missing her? _Well, might as well do something about that._

"_I'm borded."_

Emma smacked one hand against her face_. You're an idiot._

"_Booored."_

"_I meant bored, damn it."_

* * *

><p>Regina laughed out loud as she read Emma's three little cute messages. She hadn't heard from her all day and if she was honest with herself, she'd missed the hell out of her. She decided not to let this one slip.<p>

"_Well I'm borded, too."_

Regina couldn't help but smile at herself. It didn't take long for Emma to answer, and when she did, Regina laughed loudly once again.

"_Fuck youuuu."_

Regina mainly sent four very happy smiley faces. Emma continued the conversation.

"_I'm sooooo bored... I could write on my songs, ya know but I'm just not inspired... Ok not completely true. I'm kinda inspired to write yet another song."_

"_Then why don't you? Perfect way to use boredom time! I was thinking about listening to more of your songs on YouTube."_

"_Becaaaause I should rather finish the ones I've already started & I could always do sth for school. Or lets put it this way: I should rather do sth for school since I have a lot of lessons to plan so it could get fucking stressful."_

"_Ah yeah okay… Kind of how I feel about starting to read new books! I really want to, but it's so time consuming... Maybe you could just watch a movie? I'm so bad at coming up with stuff to do, my apologies…"_

"_No I actually just got more motivated & inspired thanks to you. So I'm gonna just write & see where it goes."_

"_Oh really? Well you're welcome!"_

"_Yeah, thanks!"_

Regina couldn't stop smiling. Somehow she felt honored to have inspired Emma, even tough she didn't know how she'd actually accomplished that. She giggled goofily as she rose from her bed to get her laptop. If Emma was going to be busy writing, she might as well listen to some more of the band's songs as she'd promised. But then her phone dinged again. Regina furrowed her brows and went to pick it up. Her smile grew even wider as she read it.

"_You know what? The song can wait. I want to write with you. So, what are you up to?"_

Regina sighed heavenly and let herself fall down on the bed. _Emma Swan. You little charmer. _

"_It just so happens that I'm doing nothing at all. And I want to write with you, too."_

"_Awesome! Sooo…"_

"_Yes. So."_

* * *

><p>Emma chewed on her nails. <em>What should I ask her? How to start a conversation? <em>She stumbled around inside her own head, trying to form coherent sentences and questions but failing miserably. The only thing she could think of was the lamest question anyone could ever ask someone in the history of questions being asked. She sighed. Nonetheless, it was a question.

"_What's your fav color?"_

She closed her eyes, willing the lameness of the question to seem less lame. Regina answered quickly though.

"_Purple and blue. _I can never choose."

Emma smiled and pursed her lips.

"_Go for blue."_

"_Why did I know you'd say that?"_

That made Emma laugh out loud. A second message ticked in before she could come up with a withy answer though.

"_What's yours?"_

The blonde smiled tenderly. Regina never seemed to find her dumb or lame. She always found her jokes funny, and showed her as much as interest as Emma did in her. It was amazing.

"_Green."_

"_I like green, too. But it doesn't look good on me."_

Emma laughed again. _Such a girl_.

"_Well, does purple and blue look good on you?"_

"_That's the thing. I really adore purple, and I think that's truly my favorite color, but blue looks better on me. It fits with my hair and skin tone. Purple pretty much looks awful on me."_

That's when it hit Emma. She'd never seen a picture of Regina. She had absolutely no idea how this mysterious friend of hers looked like, other than what she'd pictured herself, when she was thinking too much about her. And that she was Spanish. Emma bit down on her bottom lip. Was it too much to ask? Regina had seen a picture, no, a video of Emma after all. _What the hell. Here goes nothing._

"_Why don't you send me a picture of yourself and let me be the judge of that?"_

There was a long pause with no answer from Regina. At first, Emma thought she'd stepped over the line and Regina now had no intention of ever answering her ever again. But then ticked in a message. And it contained a picture. She opened it. _Holy. Fucking. Shit. _

Emma gaped at the screen, mouth open and eyes wide. She even shook her head a little, trying to compose her thoughts. Regina was sitting in what Emma assumed to be her own room, lights dim. Her smile was bright and she wore her dark hair in a braid down one side. Her skin was olive toned, her eyes smoldering brown. _Those eyes. Oh my god those eyes._ They could turn anyone into a hot mess of goo. She had plum and red lips. And if Emma wasn't mistaking, she spotted a scar on the right side of her upper lip. _How did that get there? _Emma couldn't define if she looked hot, beautiful or cute. Maybe a perfect combination of all three. Her big doe-eyes and bright smile made her look immensely adorable, but her plum lips and dark skin made her look so… _kissable._

Emma buried her face in her hands. She rubbed at her face fast and harshly. _God dammit_. _Why did she have to be beautiful? Why the hell did she have to look like a fucking Greek goddess? Or Spanish goddess or whatever_. Even in her misery, she found it best not to leave Regina hanging.

"_Regina, you're absolutely beautiful. You're so cute and I fucking love your eyes."_

"_Are they kinda hazel at the edges or just brown?"_

* * *

><p>Regina starred at her screen for quite some time before thinking of what to answer. She wasn't used to receiving compliments. She was quite bad at it, to be exact. <em>Horrible<em>. And hearing this from Emma just made her stomach twist and her cheeks burn.

"_They're brown. Just brown."_

Emma was fast with her reply.

"_Well anyway, they're not just brown to me. I really adore them. Sorry, but it's the truth."_

Regina was biting on her bottom lip so hard she feared she might break through the skin.

"_I don't know what to say really… just thank you."_

"_You're welcome."_

Regina was about to write something else when she got another message from Emma.

"_And your smile and your hair, you're just really cute. Ok that's it. Bye."_

Regina squealed loudly in an attempt to handle all these feelings roaming around inside her. She rolled over on her bed, laying flat on her stomach with her face pushed into the mattress. She sighed deeply. _She's trying to kill me_. She sat up in a jolt, knowing exactly what to write.

"_**Are **__you trying to kill me, or what?!"_

"_What? No… I just like you and I think you're beautiful."_

An unpleasant feeling settled in Regina's stomach. Her breathing intensified as she suddenly panicked. Had she said something wrong? _God no, I didn't mean it like that, Emma. _She tried to think of the right thing to say. Then the image of Emma in the music video sprung to her mind. How golden locks fell wildly on her shoulders and chest. Her hair was amazing. Regina remembered how she'd wanted to run her hands through that hair. How her breathtaking emerald eyes almost sparkled. They looked so alive. So hopeful, somehow. She remembered how those thin but perfectly shaped, pale lips had formed beautiful words that touched your soul. She remembered her body, slim and fit. Emma was stunning, beautiful, herself. And her expressions, how she moved, with a little confidence and teasing but shimmering eyes and a bright smile made her look adorably cute. And she needed to know that.

"_It wasn't a bad thing. Emma, please. You're so beautiful and cute yourself. Really. The video of you literally took my breath away at the same time it made me want to cuddle you. And your hair is absolutely amazing. I love it."_

It took a while for Emma to answer, but when she did, Regina thought her face might split in two with the broad smile she couldn't hide even if she tried.

"_Now I'm blushing… Thanks. Let's cuddle."_

Regina's face hurt from smiling but she didn't care. She didn't care about anything but Emma right this second. It almost made her tear up how happy she felt right now. She didn't know how to handle all these intense feelings. She'd never experienced anything like it. So there was no doubt to what she was going to answer.

"_That's a big yes."_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Aaaaaaalright - so here we go with the very, very, very, VERY delayed chapter 5! I'm sincerely sorry for this, but life is crazy when you're an au pair for three little boys! Time is something I don't have much of. But, to make up for it, this chapter is twice as long as the previous ones! I do hope you enjoy it. Things start to get a little intense between Emma and Regina now. I am going to continue this story for the long run, and I really hope you'll stick around for it! I'll try to update more frequently, promised. And as always, reviews are highly appreciated! I love hearing what you all think. Much love, Regalfangirl xo**_

_**P.S The typos in Emma's messages are intended. I did not have a stroke. **_

* * *

><p><em><strong>May 28<strong>__**th**__**, evening at Emma's**_

Emma couldn't help but chuckle at Regina's question.

"_Who takes these pictures of you? Is it like a camera on timer or?"_

Emma smirked before sending her answer.

"_Hehe you wanna take them? No these are actually from a photo shoot. There are like fifty more or something."_

They'd been sending a lot of pictures to each other since yesterday, when Emma asked Regina for the first one. Emma had sent Regina a lot of pictures that looked quite a like, from a photo shoot she'd once did. Some of which she wasn't _fully _dressed. Emma had to admit; their messaging had taken a crazy hot turn all of a sudden. She wasn't quite sure how it had happened.

"_My friend August got me that as a present for my 18__th__ birthday."_

Emma chuckled hotly as Regina's responses ticked in. She liked this hot and teasing turn their conversations had taken.

"_I didn't say anything about that… but… I wouldn't mind._

"_Oh okay! I've been thinking about doing a photo shoot like this actually… what an amazing gift! They're good, really good."_

"_And I like the thought of fifty more."_

This started off a long and sort of deep conversation. Emma didn't have anything to do; she was merely waiting for it to be time for her to go out with August and Ruby. Even though it was only Wednesday, she was lucky to be off school both Thursday and Friday. They had decided to celebrate that at their favorite bar. Emma typed away on her phone, answering Regina in three different messages.

"_Haha yeah I bet you wouldn't."_

"_I know it was kinda the first time I felt beautiful… August knew that I didn't feel like a woman or girl at all so yeah that was really sweet of him. I actually hated it in the beginning."_

"_Thanks, really! It means a lot."_

Emma felt her heart tighten as she read Regina's answer. This girl was simply amazing.

"_I think I would be very self conscious in the beginning… Really hating the idea. But I really think it helps in the end, as you say. Your friend is grand for doing that. Although I feel like I need to call you stupid for not thinking you're beautiful - that's a plain lie!"_

She felt like telling Regina about her past. She felt like she could tell her anything, everything. But it might be too early to cast the whole bomb of her messed up life. So she decided just to dive in a little bit. She trusted Regina.

"_Well, I was pretty nervous then. And I actually hated just the idea of a photo shoot cause I'm just not that girly or whatever… And about that, well if people talk behind your back or keep saying that you're ugly and stuff, you start to believe them... besides I did dress like a boy until I was like 15 or something so yeah... I wasn't feeling beautiful and I kinda still think that I wasn't... I mean I didn't hate myself or shit..."_

It took a while for Regina to answer. Emma found herself walking in circles. She chewed on her nails as she so often did. Over ten minutes past before Emma's phone went off again.

"_Oh people should just learn to keep quiet... Define ugly really? So what if you dressed like a boy. That shouldn't mean anything to people. I'm sorry that you didn't feel beautiful, although I'm glad it didn't cause anything else like hating yourself. But you really are beautiful Emma… and… and so sexy too. I'm sorry I had to say that. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise."_

Emma stifled a sob. She wasn't even sure why. She felt like crying and laughing at the same time. What Regina was saying just… _touched _her, so deeply. She'd ben told all this before. Ruby, for one, had given her pretty much the same speech although with more swearing and "just shut up you're fucking sexy okay, end of story." But coming from Regina, it was like Emma was really hearing it for the first time. Like she really understood it. _Damn, Regina. You're crawling under my skin. What am I gonna do with you._ Even so, being who she was, Emma didn't want to seem vulnerable. So instead of pouring her heart out, she sort of shrugged Regina's words off. There was plenty of time to get emotional later.

"_Well, I've always kinda liked myself. I mean I hate certain things about myself but yeah... I'm pretty glad with who I am or rather turned out to be…_

_Well, calling someone names is pretty common for youngsters, you know, so I guess ugly is one of these things... Thanks haha, I actually really love those pictures. I mean all of them somehow show my confidence and all, it was the first time I realized that I'm a strong woman, that I'm actually beautiful... It feels like I proved all of those idiots wrong… I mean sometimes I feel like I'm too confident or like myself too much, which is also shit..."_

Emma stopped her endless typing for a second and blushed. _I'm rambling. She must think I'm crazy. This is embarrassing. _She added something to her message just to seem less weird.

"_Thanks again, you're beautiful yourself. You can tell me everything too you know. Otherwise I'll just feel awkward about writing so much."_

As Emma pressed send, she couldn't help but wonder how they'd gotten here. It all seemed to have gone so fast. There was still so much she didn't know about Regina. So much Regina didn't know about her. But Emma felt so comfortable talking to Regina. Maybe she even felt too comfortable… she was starting to fear whatever was going on inside her mind. Maybe even inside her heart. She didn't really know _what _was going on. But if she was honest with herself, she knew it was something… _more. _Further definition was not possible in her current state of mind. _Maybe when I get drunk tonight I'll know_. Emma shook her head and laughed at herself.

* * *

><p>Regina read through Emma's messages again. She couldn't shake this unnerving feeling that the blonde was hiding something. Or at least she wasn't being completely honest. <em>That's the same thing, genius. <em>She felt like Emma was using this sarcastic trait of hers to make matters seem less important than they might really be. And it worried Regina. She felt this need to protect Emma, to make sure she was all right. But how could she do that when she barely knew her. Regina sighed and typed in her answer. _You need to put all this on hold. Emma's a big girl. She can take care of herself._

"_Oh don't feel awkward at all! I'm a great listener, __**and**__ a great talker!"_

Regina paused before continuing_. Showing that I'm vulnerable, too might help_, Regina thought to herself. So she dipped into her own troubles.

"_I can imagine feeling like this really... It's a boost of confidence when you have literal evidence that you're actually beautiful. I guess I'm at that point where I can feel confident about my face, and I can see that I do have a pretty face, but the rest is still yet to come. I've always felt like I was too "dangly" and don't have enough "curves". So I might be confident about my face, but I'm not confident with my body. I want to be, but there's just things I can't overlook."_

It took some time for Emma to answer. But when she did, it made Regina chuckle and blush.

"_Well, yeah I was mainly talking about my character. I mean I've gained some pounds that I really want to lose again. Besides I've like the biggest thighs ever cause I eat way too much... I'm not a picky eater at all. And I'm sometimes not happy with my face though. __Anyway, I think you still have a great body and even if you're not "curvy" or shit, you can still be and feel sexy and beautiful."_

Regina bit her bottom lip. She was getting emotional now, and unlike Emma, she didn't feel like hiding anything. Sometimes she thought she sought too much attention, like she needed the recognition of her problems to feel good about herself. That could most likely be blamed on her mother. Either way, she typed away.

"_Well women in my family are very small and dangly, so I got that trait. And I know you can feel both sexy and beautiful even if you're not especially curvy, but I just haven't got the ability to. That's why I think maybe a photo shoot like that would help me out... But maybe I should rather focus on eating more."_

Regina suddenly felt bad about herself. For doing to Emma what she always did, to everyone. She wished she didn't need this. That she could just stop.

"_Or maybe you'll have to find someone who makes you feel beautiful. Because I for once already think you are."_

Regina sucked in a shaky breath. She felt her eyes burn with unshed tears. She wasn't used to being called beautiful. She couldn't remember the last time anyone else had told her so. She didn't know how to react. So she avoided the compliment at first.

"_Well that would be the ultimate key, yes…_

Emma's answer came quickly.

"_I know. I really wish you'll find someone who's able to do that."_

Regina furrowed her brows. Emma's words held an unspoken promise. Regina's head was spinning. If this had been a conversation in real life, silence would surely have spread as they'd just looked at each other. Even now, Regina looked into the air. She didn't know what to make of Emma's words. Lately they'd been teasing and talking so much in code that she didn't feel sure about what was going on anymore. She decided not to address it though.

"_You're seriously the sweetest, Emma. I mean you don't even know me and you've seen three pictures of me."_

Within seconds came Emma's reply, and as on cue, Regina giggled and blushed and felt her stomach flip wildly. The reaction that seemed to happen frequently lately.

"_Haha I'm really not the sweetest but thanks. Well, you're more than nice to me. You're actually amazing and three pics are enough. Besides, I saw more and I actually wanna kiss your face. Ok. Bye."_

Regina couldn't help it. This unknown sort of force inside her made everything she believed and all her fears loosen their grip around her. Something else was taking over her. Something stronger. It scared her in a new way. She was walking in blind, in unknown territory, and even though her steps would be cautious at first, she felt like she would soon be running, sprinting, towards something more powerful than anything else. And if there was something she knew for sure it was this:

"_I want to kiss your face, too, Emma"_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Later that night, at the bar<strong>_

As Emma took a sip of her fifth beer so far, she felt the dizzying warmth of alcohol seep through her body, making her cheeks blush and her vision slightly blurry. The music was loud and it pounded unpleasantly in her ears. Honestly, she didn't feel much like partying. Even though the tracks they played here were usually good, today they seemed unreasonably loud and she wondered if she could ask the DJ to turn the volume down. Or she could make him. Her mischievous plan was interrupted as August came from the bar, balancing a tray of shots. Ruby threw her hands in the air in triumph.

"Gus, this is why we're friends!" She immediately gulped down two of the glass containing the brownish, sugary liquid. Emma scrunched her nose and instead took another sip of her beer. God, how she didn't want to be there.

"Come on Em, you don't want my money to be wasted," August said as he pushed the tray towards her, gulping down a shot of his own. Emma reluctantly took one of the nasty shots. She could never say no to that damn fool. As she tilted her head back and the liquid flooded her taste buds, she had to admit though, it was quite okay. She quickly snapped another one before the devouring wolf that was Ruby had gulped them all down. She did see August smirk as he'd noticed she actually liked the shots.

"Shut up," Emma muttered as she smacked her lips after her third shot. She was feeling really dizzy now, her head spinning too much for her liking. _I have to get some air._

She rose too quickly from her seat and had to slump backwards in her chair to avoid stumbling into anything. August's hand was quickly on her shoulder?

"You alright there, sis?"

Emma nodded slowly.

"I just need to get some air. Maybe some water."

She rose, slower this time, and when her vision finally steadied she made her way towards the door at the back of the bar, leading to a closed off alley where all the smokers went. She rested her head against the brick wall outside and took a deep breath of the chilly spring air.

Not a minute passed before a guy with too much gel in his hair and a leatherjacket too broad for his shoulders approached her. He looked like he'd jumped out of _Grease_. Emma was not pleased, and even less so when he leaned in so close that she could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"What brings such a sexy woman as yourself out here alone?"

Emma pushed herself further against the wall, trying to get more distance between them. She felt nauseous with him this close by. And she was not in the mood for anyone's shit tonight.

"Not any of your concern, thank you."

"Oh come on, don't you wanna play?"

"No thank you. I'm also very much gay."

The guy laughed slyly, a big smirk on his lips.

"Let me be the judge of that."

Emma suddenly felt a hand groping her ass, a move he would soon come to regret. She smashed four hard knuckles against his nose and as the guy yelped backwards, Emma turned around on her heel and sprinted towards the door. She looked back to see a gush of blood covering the guy's mouth and already dripping thickly on his jacket.

As she made it inside she went for the restroom. It was empty, as people were more occupied on the dance floor or hovering at the bar. She went to take a sip of water, but flinched as she held her hand under the water. She flipped it over, only to see her knuckles bright red, the flesh having been scraped raw as she'd punched him. _Fucking idiot. _She flexed her fingers and grabbed a paper towel to wrap around her hand. _One more reason to be a lesbian_. She laughed dryly.

That's when she felt her eyes burn and her stomach flip. Suddenly she knew why she'd been in such a nasty mood all night. She was usually always up for a night out, but this night, she'd just felt like staying home. And it wasn't because she was tired or didn't want to see Ruby and August. It was because someone else was missing. _Regina. _She missed Regina like fucking crazy. She longed for her. In more ways than one. All these messages the last few days had awakened several emotions inside Emma, some of which she didn't know how to deal with, simply because it had never happened to her before. Right now though, she just felt _hot_. _For Regina._

In the drunken state she was in, her feelings were all the more intense. She felt a lump in her throat that she desperately tried to swallow around but without any luck. _I have to text Regina_. She was as rational as she was sober, so within seconds she'd grabbed her phone and with much concentration typed a message to Regina.

"_Stop being hot."_

She didn't know why exactly she'd typed that. Maybe because the last picture Regina had sent her before Emma had left to meet her friends was exactly that. _Hot_. She'd been wrapped in a towel. Hair wet and unruly, falling around her shoulders in a way that looked both intentional and unintentional. Like, how could anyone look so hot, unintentionally? How was it possible? The top of her breasts had even been visible. The beginning of her cleavage. When had this happened? When had their "relationship" taken this turn? Emma couldn't recall anything anymore. She just knew that she didn't mind it at all. Frankly, it made her want more. _Much more_.

Her phone buzzed. Regina was being her sassy self. Emma couldn't help but smirk.

"_Never."_

Emma's answer was quick.

"_Fuck u."_

Abbreviations were easier at this point, since Emma had trouble seeing straight. A distant voice told her she was going to regret this conversation in the morning, but she ignored it.

"_I don't even… I'm serious. Youre fucking hot. Smoking. Beautiful."_

Emma felt her cheeks burn even though she didn't feel embarrassed. She was speaking the truth. Right now, in these drunken minutes, there was nothing but the truth.

Regina's message made her blush though.

"You are too_. I'm not kidding. I actually gasped when you sent me that picture of you. I might have been starring a bit too long."_

Emma typed in quickly. As she pressed send, she immediately regretted it though.

"_I might have gottn wet when I saw your picture. Fuck. Blame it on the alcohol. No actually blame it onyour hotness."_

Emma smacked her hand across her face. _Shit. Idiot, that was over the line. What the hell am I doing? She's gonna run away screaming now. She doesn't want this. She's a… she's a lady, not like me. But what if she does? What if she by some miracle, actually wants me, too? Fuck. I…I have to be honest. I have to know. I can't keep quiet. But… fuck._

As Emma continued arguing with herself, she found herself typing in a long stream of messages that would sure leave Regina either wanting her or want nothing to do with her. _Carpe Diem, Swan._

"_I wanna hug yoy in rl; I'm not kidding."_

"_Shitm... Maybe I wanna make love to u."_

"_Ok without thda maybe."_

It took a few agonizing minutes before Regina answered. In that time Emma imagined all the different answers she possibly could: _"Emma, I don't know what to say", "I feel the same way", "What are you talking about?", "It's too soon", "Are you crazy? That's too much Emma", "Um, bye."_

But Regina's answer was neither one of these. It was better, much better. It was promising. At least, it wasn't a rejection.

"_This is where England and America are too far from each other. You smoking hot piece of woman, you're making me blush."_

It was all or nothing now. Emma decided to go with the flow. Which in this case meant writing crazy drunk shit she would never have written had she been sober. _Too bad I'm not_, she thought to herself and laughed.

"_Shit. I'm just incredibly horny rn."_

"_For you."_

"_I'm sorry. This is not romantic or shit."_

"_I'm actually just at the bathroom."_

"_You don't even wAnt to know this rn…"_

"_I wish yoy were here with me thiugu."_

"_Though."_

Emma was satisfied with herself. She was just being honest. Thinking about that picture of Regina had made her wet. Right here, alone in the restroom of a bar. With the person she was hot for all the way on the other side of the planet.

Emma starred at the screen when Regina's reply came. She was confused by it.

"_Oh I want to know."_

Her answer to that was simple.

"_What?"_

"_I so want to be drunk with you, just. I just want to be there!"_

Emma furrowed her brows. If she was reading Regina's messages correctly, Regina might be feeling the same, but was too scared to say so exactly. Or too shy, maybe. It seemed like she didn't know exactly what to say. Or maybe she was just being nice and would break it off with Emma in the morning. Emma felt like an idiot for doing this to Regina. She didn't want to push her away or scare her. She just wanted her to know. She needed her to know. And blunt was the only way she knew how to get a message across. Even as the words she was typing tasted bitter on her tongue, she typed and sent them nonetheless. _Here goes nothing._

"_I wanna fuck u. Okay? Shit. Okay. Don't even listen. I'm sorry. im really sorry. I'm an idiot."_

Three minutes. For three minutes Emma was banging her head against the cool tiles of the bathroom wall, wishing for the best. She figured Regina had lost her shit and didn't want anything to do with her anymore. But then came her answer, and it made Emma so happy and confused at the same time.

"_Don't be sorry. And you're not an idiot. You're hot. This is hot. I'm hot. Not like, I look hot, it's just hot here."_

"_Fuck Emma how can this seriously turn me on."_

Did Regina really want her? Could she? Was it actually possible? Emma blinked at her screen, perplexed. _Fuck_. She gulped down on a sudden lump making it hard for her to breathe. Regina was too good for her. Emma was nothing but a messed up orphan. Sure, she had a family and a job now, but that was all she would ever be. An orphan. What she'd gone through as an orphan had formed her and made her who she was today. But here was Regina, the most beautiful and hot woman on earth, turned on, wanting her? This seemed so wrong.

She replied with shaking fingers.

"_You're hot? Like for me or? Shiiiiit.. I don't even deserve yoy. You're like fucking hot, okay?"_

"_Yes, really, for you. Would you stop that, you're fucking hot yourself, you can have me!"_

You can have me? _I can have her? Fuck. Shit. It's hot in here. It's hot…down there. _

"_I'm hot for you... Okay it's out. I don't even care. I wish you were with me even if I'm so fucking weird and don't deserve your love at all… It turns me on... I don't really know how you feel, but I wanna be close to you. Here. I'm sorry."_

Emma felt tears prick at her eyes now. _Stop being such a pussy. You've got no reason to cry. You're a fuck-up. Deal with it. _Two messages from Regina ticked in, seconds apart.

"_You should stop saying you're sorry, cause you shouldn't be! My stomach is doing insane flips right now and I'm just... Fuck, Emma. I wanna be there with you. If I came by, I would seriously walk right up to you and kiss you senseless."_

"_I'm aching here. And I'm not even drunk. I'm the weirdo."_

Emma felt a tremor run through her body, pooling between her legs. She inhaled sharply. Her panties were definitely wet. What the fuck was going on? At the same time that she felt extremely hot and bothered, she also felt so incredibly sad. Because as much as she wanted Regina to be here, she wasn't. And how could she ever be? This was a recipe for disaster. Before she knew it, she'd spammed Regina with several heartfelt messages. She had no filter when she was drunk. This was the first time she was showing her vulnerability to Regina. And she was scared shitless. But she couldn't stop. She'd started this, and now she was going to finish it.

"_Fuck. I really wish you were here. I'm nearly coming undone."_

"_I wanna touch you, kiss you."_

"_There all these bitches who just want penis... They're just so pathetic, I don't fucking care about them"_

"_I'm still sorry cauae I'm drunk. And I'm nearly crying cause I'm fucking alone... There all these people that just don't mean anything to me... But you…"_

"_If you were here."_

"_This isn't what it's supposed to be."_

"_I'm sorry, I shouldn't even bother u."_

* * *

><p><em><strong>On the other side, in Regina's room<strong>_

Regina swallowed thickly. Everything was racing. Her mind, her heart. Her breathing was quick and shallow and her palms were sweaty. She tried to determine exactly what she was feeling. Tried closing her eyes to listen carefully to herself, her body. But it was just so damn difficult when so many things were screaming at her. _I'm panicking. _She blinked rapidly and shook her head. _Shit. I'm panicking. No. I can't. _She was so confused. She felt scared and happy all at once. Like this was what she wanted but she couldn't handle it. She wanted to want it, and she did want it, but she was scared of wanting in. She chuckled drily. Now she wasn't even making sense.

Emma's messages had caught her completely off guard. Sure, the blonde was very drunk and would probably not remember this in the morning, but "drunks speak the truth". And as much as Regina _did _feel like there was something more between them, something yet to be uncovered, this had come out of the blue. They'd never discussed it directly. It had always been teasing promises that neither of them had addressed. They'd let so many moments pass. But maybe they'd both known all a long. And now, today, drunk out of her mind, Emma had chosen to let Regina know how she felt. So why could Regina not just be happy and stop _fucking panicking?_

And now, with these last seven messages from Emma, Regina's heart was aching for her. She wished she could be there for her. Give her a tight hug and tell her it was all going to be all right. _Kiss her_. Regina smiled at the thought and felt her stomach do a pleasant flip. She hadn't been lying when she told Emma she was…hot. It was still a mystery to her. But there was definitely something inside her aching for release. And it only wanted Emma to be the releaser.

She decided to help Emma. Tried to make her feel better. It sounded like the blonde needed this from her right now. _She sounds like she hates herself. How could she possibly hate herself? She's amazing… _

"_Emma if you feel like this then go home. Don't cry. I might be too far away, but I'm here, and I care. If you're not having fun, then just go. I wish I could be there with you and make you feel better. I wish I could just. Just touch you. I don't know what's going on."_

"_You're not bothering me. You could never bother me."_

It took Emma a few minutes to answer. Regina was scared something bad was going to happen to her. _She might be too drunk to take care of herself…_

"_It's the alcohol speaking. I'm sorry. I can't get home without my brother. He deserves happiness more than me. I can't get home without him."_

"_Because I'm gonna sleep at his place_

"_I have this bracelet, which will make a dream come true ONCE it goes off... and I wished that my brother finds his soulmate"_

"_It's still there."_

Regina furrowed her brows. _Brother? _Emma had never mentioned a brother. _I guess it slipped her mind. _She couldn't help but smile at how Emma was rambling about something random all of a sudden. Even though her stomach dropped at Emma suddenly changing the subject. _She's not okay. She can't pretend like she's okay when she's obviously not. How do I get her to open up to me?_

Regina searched for words. She wanted nothing but to keep Emma safe, even if that meant keeping her safe from her own self-destructive thoughts. But how could she when she was so far away? _Damn this._

"_Emma you deserve happiness just as much as he does. But you're seriously the sweetest and just best sister for doing that. It seems like you have so much love for your brother, and I really adore you for this. But you have to make sure you're not miserable yourself."_

Emma's answer frustrated Regina even more. She was avoiding the actual problem.

"_So I just hope it goes off.. okay, I firstly wished thar I find my soulmate but I kinda changed the wish. I don't even know."_

"_I kinda just noticed thar I'm too concerned with myself. He's fucking 28 years old and he's the sweetest guy there is. He deserves someone who can mean the fucking world to him. I don't._

Regina typed quickly and maybe a bit too angrily. But how could Emma think for even a second that she didn't deserve love? _You told me you didn't hate yourself, Emma… _

"You do. _Of course you do. You deserve love, you deserve happiness, and I don't even want to argue with you on this one. Everyone deserves this."_

"_You don't even know me. I'm sorry. I just... I don't even know."_

Regina kept going.

"_You're a human being. That much I know. And that fact makes you worthy of love just as much as any other human out there."_

Regina sighed deeply. Everyone did deserve love, right? She had to tell herself that at least. Otherwise… she was screwed.

"_I should just dance with one of these fucking girls to at least feel something_

"_Okay, I can't."_

"_I don't even knoe what I'm doing."_

"_I'm a fucking idiot."_

Regina was frustrated by now. Why didn't Emma listen to her at all? _Yes, you're a stubborn idiot. Please, why won't she just go home…_

"_No. You're drunk and you're sad. And that's not the best combo. I don't blame you for feeling this way. I don't judge you. All I'm asking is that you go. Because you're clearly miserable. Can't you ask for his keys and just go? You shouldn't torture yourself like this."_

One minute passed. And as Emma's messages ticked in, Regina felt her heart sink deep into the pit of her stomach. She shivered. _Fuck_. Emma was angry.

"_No, I'm okay."_

"_Don't fucking pretend to know me."_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_I shouldn't say this."_

"_I'm okay. I'm fine, okay."_

"_Bye."_

_Oh god_. What did she do? What did she say? She was just trying to help, she just wanted Emma to be okay. _Shit_. Was that a goodbye? Was this goodbye? How angry was she exactly? _I have to fix this_. _I…I can't lose her. _

"_I'm sorry, I'm only trying to help. You're not giving off the happiest vibe; I was merely making a conclusion to what I see you write. I'm sorry if I misunderstood something."_

Regina was biting her bottom lip hard in anticipation. Emma sent several messages in reply.

"_I'm sorry."_

"_Just please don't even answer me. I don't deserve it."_

"_I am fucking sad and I would never admit that aloud. I'm happy okay."_

"_I've never like this when I've been drunk. I'm sorry."_

"_Please don't care."_

She couldn't help but feel relieved. She wasn't angry after all. Or maybe her anger towards Regina was muted by her own misery… She was right though. Regina didn't know Emma at all. She'd only known her for four days. But she still felt like she had a responsibility towards her. And the thing was – she could hear herself in Emma's messages. She'd been there. Hell, she often still went there. All these self-destructive thoughts can drive you mad. But she wouldn't wish that upon her worst enemy. And especially not Emma.

"_Well then I'm sorry for dragging it out of you... I just... I don't want you to feel like this. I'm not pretending to know you, cause I know I don't. I'm not saying that I know anything about you. But I can't help caring, even if you tell me not to. If you want me to just shut up and leave you alone then I will."_

Regina didn't know exactly what to do or say. She didn't know what her limits were or what she was even allowed to say. So she just tried to stay true to herself, what she was feeling and thinking, but she was so scared that she'd cross a line. Finally Emma answered.

"_I'm always happy... I don't even know...I'm the one who makes everyone smile, I'm the funny one."_

"_I'm honestly sorry. I care about you. And what I'm doing isn't good for you in any way. Fuck ... I'm just gonna wait for my brother… I can do this. I'm sorry. I've never meant to hurt you. I adore you."_

"_I'm gonna dance my troubles away. I'm sorry. I adore you. And I can't deal with you not being here."_

Regina felt her heart swell inside her chest. Her throat tightened and she had to keep tears from spilling. _"I care about you." _Was it really true? Did this amazing woman really care about her? Did she in any way deserve her? _Oh Emma, you didn't hurt me. God no. _She longed for the blonde to be by her side now more than ever. She was missing her. She was missing someone she'd never met. This was crazy. But even in all this craziness, this drama – it felt right. She took her time replying, and it ended up as a long one.

"_You haven't hurt me Emma. I'm trying hard not to seem like a know-it-all right now, but I know about feeling this way. I'm trying to help because I... I just remember. I remember thinking stuff like you're writing. And of course I don't know you, so I can't know exactly how you feel or even begin to understand, but all I know is that I don't want you to feel this down. I... I'm sorry if I made you angry or even sadder. That wasn't my intention. I'm truly sorry if I did anything to hurt your feelings. Have fun dancing then. I adore you, too. I wish I could give you the biggest hug right now."_

Regina had been lying in her bed, ready to sleep, already when Emma started texting her. Now it was pretty late and she was supposed to get up for class tomorrow, so she really needed to sleep. _It must almost be morning at Emma's by now. Wow. _Once again she wished the blonde would just give up and go home. She waited for Emma to reply, but nothing happened. After ten minutes, she decided she better sleep. So she wrote one last message to Emma.

"_I'll sleep now. I really am sorry if I hurt you. I was just trying to help. Please know that I don't in any way pretend to know you. I would never do anything like that. I would love to get to know you though. Really. I hope you find a way to enjoy the rest of your night out. You do deserve it. Again, I'm really sorry."_

As she put her phone down on her nightstand, it buzzed persistently. She shook her head gently. _Of course._

"_I'm sorry. I'm fine okay."_

"_You didnt hurt me!"_

"_Youre fucking awesome. Have sweet dreams."_

"_I adore you."_

"_I'm the one who needs to be sorry."_

"_Fuck. I shouldnt have said any of those things."_

"_You havent done anything wrong."_

"_I'm fine. Really."_

"_I just sometimes write shit."_

Regina smiled warmly at her phone. This woman. So frustrating but so adorable all at the same time. _What am I going to do with you… _She still wasn't convinced that Emma was indeed fine. But she couldn't worry about that right now. She'd done enough damage already.

"_It's okay. Really. I was only worried that I hurt you. I don't want you to be angry at me. If you say you're fine, then I'll stop bugging you about it. Just know that you can always come to me. Sweet dreams to you when you get there."_

"_If I'm sad it hasnt anytbig to do with you."_

"_I adore yoy."_

"_You could neger hurt me. Youre wat too sweey."_

Regina chuckled. That was sweet, but not entirely true. _Oh Emma, you have no idea what I'm capable of. _

"_Okay then. Adore you too. Oh, believe me, I can bite if I want to. But I don't want to with you."_

Emma simply kept going.

"_Sleep tight, love and Im sorry if I hurt you."_

Regina was a little annoyed by now. She'd told Emma several times she hadn't hurt her, and it was true. She was just… shocked.

"_You didn't, I was only shocked. But I understand now that you didn't mean it. It's fine. Thank you."_

"_Im sorry. I didnt mean to make you shocked or fuck."_

"_I dont really get it but I will once Im sober."_

She really needed to sleep now. And Emma needed to get home and in bed, too.

"_Just enjoy the rest of your night, don't worry about it."_

"_Thank you. I adore you. I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble. _I'm an asshole."

Regina replied quickly, her eyes heavy by now.

"_It's okay Emma, really. I adore you too. Stop worrying about me now, go dance. I'll sleep, it's 12am after all."_

Regina quickly dozed off, Emma the last thing roaming around inside her head. And in her dreams, the blonde was the center of attention. When she woke up the next morning, those emerald eyes were the first thing to enter her mind. And when she checked her phone with sleepy eyes, Emma was there in several unread messages.


End file.
